Vijf lezende joodse mannen 1930 - 1932

Julius C. Turner made this print, "Vijf lezende joodse mannen," and its fuzzy darks really pull you in, don't they? The way he’s built the tones from etched lines is fascinating; it’s all about process. I love how Turner renders these men. Look at the figure with the sharp moustache. There’s a real tension there. See how the darkness pools around his eye, but then there are lighter lines that suggest the crinkles around his eyes? This kind of detail, where light emerges from a dark mass, is what makes the image breathe. It's like he's suggesting a whole inner world with just a few strokes. The book that they are reading is quite small and yet it unites them. This approach reminds me of Rembrandt, who similarly built his compositions with light and shadow. Like a conversation across time. It's this ability to suggest feeling and thought through line and form that makes this piece something really special.